Opposing the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
Legislative Committee
Greater Seattle Area Local
WHEREAS, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) promotes legislation and regulations that favor the interests of its anti-labor, corporate sponsors;
WHEREAS, ALEC holds secretive meetings where corporate lobbyists and state legislators vote as equals on âmodel billsâ that would reduce our rights, and would benefit the corporationsâ bottom line at the publicâs expense;
WHEREAS, Corporations advance their legislative wish lists through ALEC and get a tax break for donations, effectively passing these lobbying costs on to taxpayers;
WHEREAS, ALECâs agenda includes rolling back civil rights, challenging government restrictions on polluters, infringing on workersâ rights, limiting government regulations of commerce, privatizing public services, and representing the interests of the corporations that make up its supporters; and
WHEREAS, ALEC boasts that it has over 1,000 bills introduced by legislative members every year, with one in five enacted into law, including 117 bills to restrict worker rights, weaken unions, promote privatization and undermine advocacy for wage hikes, having passed 14 of these measures, and
WHEREAS, more than 98% of ALEC’s revenues come from corporations, corporate trade groups, and corporate foundations, including direct grants from corporations totaling over $21 million in a three year period;
WHEREAS, ALEC enjoys a 501(c)(3) classification, which allows it to keep its tax-exempt status while accepting grants from foundations, corporations, and other donors, even though it is not a non-partisan educational organization, but a super-lobbyist that should be treated as such by the IRS; therefore be it
RESOLVEDÂ that the APWU join with other unions and allies to continue to expose ALEC, call upon the IRS to strip ALEC of its tax-exempt status, and to pressure corporations to withdraw as members and financial supporters of ALEC.